Never Alone
by Dawnstorm101
Summary: I kinda hope this is obvious, but FANTASTIC BEASTS SPOILERS LIE WITHIN. It's the day after the Grindelwald incident, and Newt is staying with the Goldstein sisters as he recovers from the aftermath. He's been inside the Newtcase for a suspiciously long period of time, and Tina heads in to find him, and an emotional conversation ensues. (AKA feels and shameless fluff.)


A/N: My public Fantastic Beasts debut! It's much longer than my one-shots normally tend to be, but I was having too much fun finally being able to write magical creatures as their own individual personalities. I LOVE THE CREATURES. AND NEWT. So much Newt  
love. I love this whole movie _so freaking much._ This movie saved 2016 almost single-handedly (gotta give credit to Star Trek Beyond and Doctor Strange, too).

Without further ado, I present to you Newt Scamander, aka the definition of perfection, and his companions Tina Goldstein, Dougal, Pickett, an Occamy, the Niffler, and, last but not least, Queenie Goldstein.

* * *

Newt was totally fine. He wasn't shivering from cold or trembling from pain. He had used magic to move the wheelbarrow and feed the animals out of laziness, not weakness. The fact that Dougal, Pickett, an Occamy, and the Niffler were being unusually clingy  
meant nothing.

 _Then again, maybe it does,_ he thought.

His legs gave out. His hands scrambled for a grip on the Niffler's den, fighting to keep him upright.

The fight was futile.

For the first time since he'd met the Goldsteins, there was no one to break his fall.

 _Tina…_

The brilliant world he'd created faded to black.

-FBAWTFT-

Tina stepped into the case and paused, looking around in an awe that would never fade. Tent-like flaps waved in a gentle breeze, revealing a massive variety of habitats, ranging from a snowy expanse to thick woods to an ocean. A menagerie of creatures  
roamed freely between them, more magical creatures than she had ever known existed. The Erumpent, much calmer than she had been at Central Park, watched her curiously from a plains habitat; a bright pink owl-like bird swooped by; a pair of massive  
beetles rolled around equally massive balls of dung; in the distance, a few creatures roared at each other. Tina could feel the love and care Newt had invested in this little world; it permeated everything, even the air she breathed, letting a wave  
of calm sweep over her, and she suddenly understood why the creatures were content to stay here. This case was the definition of love and safety.

Eventually, she moved forward, for she hadn't come here purely to admire the breathtaking view. Newt had been in here for quite a while, and while he and the sisters knew him staying in here would help reduce the risk of the landlady discovering his illicit  
presence in their apartment, he was still weakened from yesterday's encounter with Grindelwald, and Tina wanted to keep an eye on him. Plus, Queenie was currently pouring her heart and soul into what would probably be the best chicken noodle soup  
Newt would ever eat – it would be a shame to let him miss out on it.

Also, she had something she needed to say.

"Newt?" she called out, not seeing him in the human area of the case. Wondering if it actually took this long to properly care for every creature in this case, she stepped onto the grass and walked deeper in.

 _He certainly wouldn't be in Frank's habitat… Maybe he's trying to persuade Pickett to stay with the other Bowtruckles,_ she theorized. She stepped into the appropriate entrance, turning towards their little cluster of small, skinny trees when something  
caught her eye.

The Niffler's gleaming treasure horde, displayed in a hollow rock sort of thing.

And below it, a pair of legs sticking out, limp.

She wanted to sprint forward and yell his name, but she hadn't finished opening her mouth when Dougal shot out from behind the den, leapt onto her shoulder, and clamped a paw over her mouth.

Suppressing her initial fright at the Demiguise's sudden appearance, she nodded. "Quiet. Got it," she whispered, albeit muffled.

Satisfied that she understood, Dougal jumped back to the ground and, taking Tina's hand, led her slowly around to where Newt lay.

An Occamy lifted its head, a threatening growl rumbling deep in its throat before recognizing Tina. Relaxing, it rested its head on the ground, tenderly readjusting Newt's position with its beak; she couldn't help but smile as she realized the Occamy  
had grown in size purely so it could be both pillow and blanket to its "mummy," curling protectively around him. Nestled in Newt's messy curls was Pickett, while the Niffler curled up on his chest, longingly eyeing a shimmering broach attached to  
his bowtie as if the jewelry would wake him up. Dougal returned to a gap between Newt's arm and side, where Newt had clearly been hugging him like a child would hug a teddy bear.

Reluctant now to wake him, but also needing to know he actually was sleeping and not unconscious, Tina crouched down and tapped his shoulder. "Newt?"

Abruptly, he jerked awake, reaching for his wand, gasping "Don't hurt my creatures!"

"Whoa, Newt. Newt! It's me, it's Tina!" she cried out, catching Pickett as he tumbled from his perch with a squeal.

Newt froze, memories visibly swimming in his eyes as he processed where he was. "Right. Tina," he confirmed, sinking back against the Occamy. His arm curled around Dougal and the indignant Niffler, tucking them against his torso. The mild exertion had  
him panting, but he still rasped out "Sorry, Pickett."

The Bowtruckle stuck his tongue out at Newt and settled on Tina's shoulder, crossing his little arms with a huff. Even knowing it was rude, Tina giggled at the little creature's cuteness.

"Don't encourage him," Newt warned, even though a smile tugged at his lips too.

The Niffler wriggled out of Newt's grip and padded over to Tina, its sniffing snout reaching for her pendant. Remembering the havoc it had wreaked at the bank, she quickly tucked it in her shirt, much to the little creature's disappointment. It sat up,  
sadly staring at the spot where it had hung.

"You're incorrigible," she scolded, but she reached into her pocket and pulled out the earring she had brought for just such an occasion. She had long ago lost its twin, but the faux blue gem still shone like new. Happily, the Niffler snatched it from  
her outstretched hand and scampered into its den. She grinned, watching it tuck the gift in among a pile of golden coins.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Newt asked, his gaze following the earring's path.

She absently touched her heart, warmed by the creatures' actions. "It is."

"So, what brings you to my humble abode?" Newt joked.

Tina's eyebrow rose. "If this is your definition of humble, I'd love to see what you think grand means."

Newt laughed. "I think the Niffler would, too."

"Yeah, he would."

"So…?" Newt prompted.

"Oh. Right. Well, first, Queenie's making dinner and she'll get very annoying if you don't eat it. Second, you've been in here for hours and I wanted to make sure you hadn't collapsed or anything. Third- Wait, what is that look for?"

Newt's eyes, which had looked away awkwardly as she mentioned her concern, widened in panic. "Nothing, nothing at all," he tried to assure her hurriedly.

Tina leaned forward and pressed a hand against his forehead, unsurprised when it felt clammy. "You did collapse, didn't you?"

Newt opened his mouth.

"The _truth_ , Newton Artemis Fido Scamander."

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Dang it, Newt, you're supposed to take it easy! _Grindelwald himself_ _tortured_ _you_. I know it wasn't for very long, but you're lucky to be _alive_. And don't even try to play it down, because Queenie saw your memory of it  
when you were half-conscious. You almost gave me and Queenie heart attacks, the way you collapsed yesterday. And now you've apparently been down here for hours too weak to move?! Newt, you can't just-"

"I'm sorry," Newt mumbled. "I'm not used to it."

His tiny voice stopped her rant cold; the admission sank her heart. "Not used to what?" she whispered, already knowing the answer.

Newt's fingers twined themselves into Dougal's fur. "Someone – a person – caring."

She paused. _Oh, Newt…_

On impulse, Tina pulled him into a hug. The prick of guilt she felt at his grunt of pain faded when his arm wrapped hesitantly around her. She could practically feel that his action was all but foreign to him. He could greet dozens of magical creatures,  
even perform their mating dances, but he barely remembered how to hug a human.

"You will _always_ have me and Queenie," she promised fiercely. "Understood?"

Newt, his head tucked against her shoulder, nodded. The Occamy let out a faint caw of sorts, shifting to support Newt in his new position, even wrapping its tail tip around Tina.

"That was her version of a purr," Newt informed Tina. "I think she likes you."

Tina looked into the creature's wide, gorgeous eyes. "I like you, too."

She let out a much louder caw, letting her beak hang open a bit. Tina was certain she felt her tail tip wag a little.

Newt was watching Tina, a huge grin on his face. "I haven't named her yet, you know."

"Is that right, sweetheart? You need a name?" Tina asked the Occamy. She nodded her feathered head, her head tilting as she awaited Tina's next words. "Hmm. How about… Jane?"

Jane cawed again, nudging Tina's shoulder happily. The witch laughed, pushing back against Jane's beak. "Jane it is, then."

She watched the Occamy for a few moments, utterly entranced by the feathers that shimmered with every move, the light rippling along Jane's sleek exterior. A contented rumble running down her elongated body, she adjusted her position yet again, this time  
firmly encompassing both Newt and Tina. Her head rested on Newt's lap, who was nestled against Tina. The position felt oddly… right.

"What was the third thing?"

Tina blinked, mentally shaking off the temptation to play with Newt's hair. "What?"

"Before you started ranting, you were about to give a third reason for coming down here."

 _Oh. Right._ "I came down to apologize."

Newt tilted his head to glance at her. "Apologize?"

Tina scooped Pickett into the palm of her hand, watching him guiltily. "For turning you in."

He shook his head. "You were doing your due diligence."

"But you almost lost your creatures! If the aurors had had time to come in here and… deal with what they found…"

She trailed off, staring around at the landscape Newt had created, unable to speak the results. The Nundu napping on the rock, the Occamy curled around them, the Swooping Evil swooping around – dead. The Erumpent calmly grazing, the Graphorn family playing  
– locked up at the least, killed at worst. The Bowtruckles, Niffler, and Demiguise – put to use as tools. The Fwooper and Billywigs might be released into the wild, but most of the creatures… Certainly none of them would experience the love and care  
Newt gave to them.

Newt sat up, leaning on Jane, and turned to face her. "And you suffered for it, too, not that I would wish that upon anybody. Then you helped me rescue Jane's brother and Dougal, and tried to save Credence despite what he had become." He lifted his eyes  
to meet hers, pinning her with irises like the sunlight-dappled forest floor, made all the more beautiful by the sheer effort the gesture took for him. "You did what you thought was right, realized it was wrong, and immediately did everything in your  
power to fix it. As far as I'm concerned, that's more than enough of an apology."

"Really?" Tina whispered, futilely searching his face for signs of deception.

Newt's eyes flickered, trying to escape the eye contact, but he forced them to remain steady. "Yes, really. I gave my creatures to you to look after in case the Obscurus killed me – I don't do that for just anyone, Tina."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you," she murmured.

A smile tugged at his lips, awkward but genuine, as he finally let his gaze fall away. The sudden absence left a hole in her soul, a hole she desperately wanted him to refill, but warmth filled her at the idea that he'd put the effort in for her.

"What do you say we go get dinner?"

"What's for dinner?" Newt checked.

"For you, soup. For me and Queenie, spaghetti."

Newt stuck out his bottom lip in a little pout. "I want spaghetti…"

Tina rolled her eyes in mock-annoyance. "Fine, I'll slip you some of mine. But you _will_ eat every drop of soup, understood?"

He brightened up. "Understood!"

She laughed. "All right, come on then," she urged, taking hold of his arm to help him up.

"Go back to your siblings, Jane," Newt ordered, disentangling his legs from her tail. With a reluctant whimper, she slithered away, shrinking as she reentered to the nest. Tina held him steady as they returned to the outside world, occasionally forcibly  
steering him towards the exit as he tried to veer off to "check on one last creature, I promise."

"You did collapse again!" came Queenie's dismayed greeting as Newt crawled out first, closely follow by Tina. The blonde sister immediately grabbed his arm and half-dragged him to the table, where a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup awaited him, and  
proceeded to hover over him and ensure he consumed every drop. Tina never had a chance to slip him any spaghetti.

"Bed," Queenie ordered as soon as Newt had downed a glass of water to top off the soup. She looked ready to watch him do that, too, before Tina intervened.

"I'm sure he can do that much on his own, sis."

But Newt made no move to get up, only eyeing the closed door with trepidation.

"Newt?" Tina prodded gently.

He opened his mouth, glanced rapidly at the two sisters, and closed his mouth again.

"You don't wanna be alone, do you, honey?" Queenie murmured.

Looking at the floor, he shook his head. "No," he mumbled.

The words tumbled out of her mouth, in complete opposition to everything her landlady stood for. "I'll stay with you," Tina promised.

Newt glanced up, relief shimmering in his eyes.

"You're never alone," she reminded him. Queenie smiled knowingly and pranced off to magically push the two beds together. Tina ducked away to change into her pajamas, placing Pickett on Newt's shoulder. When she reemerged, Newt was curled up and half-asleep,  
but his eyes were open just enough to pretend he wasn't making sure she followed through on her promise.

"Trust me, Newt."

He reached for her hand, but started to pull back before he could touch her. But Pickett, having other ideas, crawled off Newt's shoulder and prodded the back of Newt's hand until he took hold of Tina's. She squeezed gently, rubbing her thumb in circles  
on the back of his hand.

She was rewardedby his eyes drifting shut, tension oozing out of his body in a silent sigh.

Pickett trilled happily, curling up around their interlocked fingers.

"How did you know my full name?" Newt asked, sleep slurring his voice.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," she teased.

"Please never say it again."

"Go to sleep, Newton Ar-"

"If I go to sleep, will you stop?"

"Yup."

An exasperated smile flickered across his face before, with a final exhale, he let sleep claim him.

Tina never let go of him.


End file.
